Best American Rock Band

[ZoSoRose]

As you can tell, I'm bored so I'm making threads on topics I'm thinking about.

Anyways, rock n' roll is an American invention but it can be easily argued that the Brits took it to the next level. You have the freaking Beatles, Stones, the British Invasion, Floyd, The Who, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Purple, the first wave of heavy metal, etc all come out of Britain. I believe Punk started there too, right? (I could be wrong)

So what band (if any) could hold the title of biggest/best American rock band?

I guess the biggest ones overall would be-

Aerosmith

Van Halen

The Eagles

Metallica

Aerosmith is probably the most obvious choice. They're legends, and their debut- Rocks is one of the best rock album runs ever. Although I really enjoy a lot of their late 70s- more modern stuff, its clearly not the same. They also started really chasing trends in the 90s and have really never recovered from that. Their last album, alone had ballads copying "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and a Carrie Underwood duet. That'd be fine if the song was good and it was something they were genuine about, but I don't think that was the case. Still, their past work cements their legacy, and their live shows have always been great. Plus, you know, Steven Tyler. I guess they'd take my vote.

Next is Van Halen. You can't deny how important Eddie has been to popular music. He was one of those rare, one in a million, talents that changed the way guitar was looked at. Did he start two handed tapping? No, but he made it his own style and for better or worse, influenced an entire decade of guitar playing. However, as much as I like Van Halen, they are still just a band that made dumb, fun music. Their music with DLR is a blast, but pretty shallow (nothing wrong with that) and it got an extra layer of cheese with Sammy (again, nothing wrong with that). Great band, but I feel like Aerosmith is a notch above. Maybe VH's inactivity over the years and declining live show (the 2004 tour and current DLR) contribute to that, idk.

Now for The Eagles. These guys are probably the most musically inclined of these 3 older bands. They never sold out musically, in my opinion, and represent a really cool side of America. I can't think of a band that blends rock, country, and folk music better than The Eagles. Their live shows were always stellar, their releases always good (I even really loved Long Road out of Eden, a very ambitious album for that stage in their career imo), but their fighting and decades of inactivity hurt them.

Finally, Metallica. Sure, they are heavy metal but I think that can count. Metallica is a new comer compared to the other 3, but they've had a long career with just as many ups and downs. Their debut- ... And Justice Through All is metal perfection, and then they hit even more people with The Black Album. That album doesn't get as much love anymore, but I think it is a really cool mix of more commercial metal. There are some stellar songs on it. Load/ReLoad were cool because they showed the band wasn't afraid to try new things. Of course, St. Anger sucked, but that's one album. I liked Death Magnetic, and their live shows have always been phenomenal. Plus, they have remained huge without quite reaching "nostalgia" level like The Eagles, VH, and Aerosmith. They try new things (a movie, festival, LuLu, etc), are cool to their fans, and are really popular. Still, I feel like Aerosmith has more of a "legacy" thing going.

Then there are other bands that are/were huge like Bon Jovi, Kiss, GNR, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, CCR, Jimi Hendrix, The Band, The Doors, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, etc but I stand by one of the 4 above for being the "best" American rock band that can hold the flag.

(Best is a subjective term, I am just bored and want to start a discussion because all of you are lame today)

EDIT- Yes, I left GNR off. They COULD have been up there, but they broke up before they reached it. Too bad, so sad.

Edited March 18, 2015 by ZoSoRose

[Len Cnut]

The Ramones...absolutely undeniably The Ramones, over and above any other American band that ever existed.

[ZoSoRose]

The Ramones...absolutely undeniably The Ramones, over and above any other American band that ever existed.

I thought they were British

(Can you tell I don't like Punk, much?)

[Len Cnut]

They're from Queens New York mon frere They were anyway, now they ain't from shit cuz they're dead.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Len B'stard

[DieselDaisy]

The Rolling Stones.

[Use Your Delusion 1]

Crazy Horse

[shotsfired cro]

As you can tell, I'm bored so I'm making threads on topics I'm thinking about.

Anyways, rock n' roll is an American invention but it can be easily argued that the Brits took it to the next level. You have the freaking Beatles, Stones, the British Invasion, Floyd, The Who, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Purple, the first wave of heavy metal, etc all come out of Britain. I believe Punk started there too, right? (I could be wrong)

So what band (if any) could hold the title of biggest/best American rock band?

I guess the biggest ones overall would be-

Aerosmith

Van Halen

The Eagles

Metallica

Aerosmith is probably the most obvious choice. They're legends, and their debut- Rocks is one of the best rock album runs ever. Although I really enjoy a lot of their late 70s- more modern stuff, its clearly not the same. They also started really chasing trends in the 90s and have really never recovered from that. Their last album, alone had ballads copying "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and a Carrie Underwood duet. That'd be fine if the song was good and it was something they were genuine about, but I don't think that was the case. Still, their past work cements their legacy, and their live shows have always been great. Plus, you know, Steven Tyler. I guess they'd take my vote.

Next is Van Halen. You can't deny how important Eddie has been to popular music. He was one of those rare, one in a million, talents that changed the way guitar was looked at. Did he start two handed tapping? No, but he made it his own style and for better or worse, influenced an entire decade of guitar playing. However, as much as I like Van Halen, they are still just a band that made dumb, fun music. Their music with DLR is a blast, but pretty shallow (nothing wrong with that) and it got an extra layer of cheese with Sammy (again, nothing wrong with that). Great band, but I feel like Aerosmith is a notch above. Maybe VH's inactivity over the years and declining live show (the 2004 tour and current DLR) contribute to that, idk.

Now for The Eagles. These guys are probably the most musically inclined of these 3 older bands. They never sold out musically, in my opinion, and represent a really cool side of America. I can't think of a band that blends rock, country, and folk music better than The Eagles. Their live shows were always stellar, their releases always good (I even really loved Long Road out of Eden, a very ambitious album for that stage in their career imo), but their fighting and decades of inactivity hurt them.

Finally, Metallica. Sure, they are heavy metal but I think that can count. Metallica is a new comer compared to the other 3, but they've had a long career with just as many ups and downs. Their debut- ... And Justice Through All is metal perfection, and then they hit even more people with The Black Album. That album doesn't get as much love anymore, but I think it is a really cool mix of more commercial metal. There are some stellar songs on it. Load/ReLoad were cool because they showed the band wasn't afraid to try new things. Of course, St. Anger sucked, but that's one album. I liked Death Magnetic, and their live shows have always been phenomenal. Plus, they have remained huge without quite reaching "nostalgia" level like The Eagles, VH, and Aerosmith. They try new things (a movie, festival, LuLu, etc), are cool to their fans, and are really popular. Still, I feel like Aerosmith has more of a "legacy" thing going.

Then there are other bands that are/were huge like Bon Jovi, Kiss, GNR, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, CCR, Jimi Hendrix, The Band, The Doors, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, etc but I stand by one of the 4 above for being the "best" American rock band that can hold the flag.

(Best is a subjective term, I am just bored and want to start a discussion because all of you are lame today)

EDIT- Yes, I left GNR off. They COULD have been up there, but they broke up before they reached it. Too bad, so sad.

depends what you consider 'biggest'.

Like them or not, Bon Jovi is probably the biggest overall.

Record sales, tours, tour income.

The Eagles outside US are non existant.

Nobody knows any song other than Hotel California.

Aerosmith, had a good run in the 70's when the tours were much smaller in small venues, than had a good era 88-93, but never became a stadium band, more Arena band, last 15 years also non existant.

Metallica ok, but overall, not near Bon Jovi.

...VH, irrelevant outside USA, entirely.

[ZoSoRose]

As you can tell, I'm bored so I'm making threads on topics I'm thinking about.

Anyways, rock n' roll is an American invention but it can be easily argued that the Brits took it to the next level. You have the freaking Beatles, Stones, the British Invasion, Floyd, The Who, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Purple, the first wave of heavy metal, etc all come out of Britain. I believe Punk started there too, right? (I could be wrong)

So what band (if any) could hold the title of biggest/best American rock band?

I guess the biggest ones overall would be-

Aerosmith

Van Halen

The Eagles

Metallica

Aerosmith is probably the most obvious choice. They're legends, and their debut- Rocks is one of the best rock album runs ever. Although I really enjoy a lot of their late 70s- more modern stuff, its clearly not the same. They also started really chasing trends in the 90s and have really never recovered from that. Their last album, alone had ballads copying "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and a Carrie Underwood duet. That'd be fine if the song was good and it was something they were genuine about, but I don't think that was the case. Still, their past work cements their legacy, and their live shows have always been great. Plus, you know, Steven Tyler. I guess they'd take my vote.

Next is Van Halen. You can't deny how important Eddie has been to popular music. He was one of those rare, one in a million, talents that changed the way guitar was looked at. Did he start two handed tapping? No, but he made it his own style and for better or worse, influenced an entire decade of guitar playing. However, as much as I like Van Halen, they are still just a band that made dumb, fun music. Their music with DLR is a blast, but pretty shallow (nothing wrong with that) and it got an extra layer of cheese with Sammy (again, nothing wrong with that). Great band, but I feel like Aerosmith is a notch above. Maybe VH's inactivity over the years and declining live show (the 2004 tour and current DLR) contribute to that, idk.

Now for The Eagles. These guys are probably the most musically inclined of these 3 older bands. They never sold out musically, in my opinion, and represent a really cool side of America. I can't think of a band that blends rock, country, and folk music better than The Eagles. Their live shows were always stellar, their releases always good (I even really loved Long Road out of Eden, a very ambitious album for that stage in their career imo), but their fighting and decades of inactivity hurt them.

Finally, Metallica. Sure, they are heavy metal but I think that can count. Metallica is a new comer compared to the other 3, but they've had a long career with just as many ups and downs. Their debut- ... And Justice Through All is metal perfection, and then they hit even more people with The Black Album. That album doesn't get as much love anymore, but I think it is a really cool mix of more commercial metal. There are some stellar songs on it. Load/ReLoad were cool because they showed the band wasn't afraid to try new things. Of course, St. Anger sucked, but that's one album. I liked Death Magnetic, and their live shows have always been phenomenal. Plus, they have remained huge without quite reaching "nostalgia" level like The Eagles, VH, and Aerosmith. They try new things (a movie, festival, LuLu, etc), are cool to their fans, and are really popular. Still, I feel like Aerosmith has more of a "legacy" thing going.

Then there are other bands that are/were huge like Bon Jovi, Kiss, GNR, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, CCR, Jimi Hendrix, The Band, The Doors, The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, etc but I stand by one of the 4 above for being the "best" American rock band that can hold the flag.

(Best is a subjective term, I am just bored and want to start a discussion because all of you are lame today)

EDIT- Yes, I left GNR off. They COULD have been up there, but they broke up before they reached it. Too bad, so sad.

depends what you consider 'biggest'.

Like them or not, Bon Jovi is probably the biggest overall.

Record sales, tours, tour income.

The Eagles outside US are non existant.

Nobody knows any song other than Hotel California.

Aerosmith, had a good run in the 70's when the tours were much smaller in small venues, than had a good era 88-93, but never became a stadium band, more Arena band, last 15 years also non existant.

Metallica ok, but overall, not near Bon Jovi.

...VH, irrelevant outside USA, entirely.

I guess I always forget how big Bon Jovi really is. I don't know them a while lot, but I do love 'Dry County'. They always play arenas and stadiums when they come to Michigan.

Edited March 18, 2015 by ZoSoRose

[downzy]

The Ramones...absolutely undeniably The Ramones, over and above any other American band that ever existed.

Along with the Beastie Boys, one of the most overrated bands ever.

[Len Cnut]

The Ramones...absolutely undeniably The Ramones, over and above any other American band that ever existed.

Along with the Beastie Boys, one of the most overrated bands ever.

I guess personally you can say that and it cant be true but in terms of being the best American group, scope of influence etc, its difficult to deny them. Unless the question meant who you LIKE best, in which case i couldn't answer.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Len B'stard

[Sixes]

Beach Boys, Ramones, Sonic Youth, REM to name a few

Definitely NOT Van Halen, Eagles or Aerosmith. Those bands represent the worst of the worst cliches of their genres and rock as a whole. The Eagles might be the worst band of all time, from any country.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YACKA YACKA OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...........BOZY BOZY BOP

[MEXzilla]

GnR, Soundgarden, AiC, Aerosmith, Jimi Hendrix Experience(the main attraction is american), Queens of the Stone Age, and there's more but I can't recall them...

Edited March 18, 2015 by MEXzilla

[Len Cnut]

Beach Boys, Ramones, Sonic Youth, REM to name a few

Definitely NOT Van Halen, Eagles or Aerosmith. Those bands represent the worst of the worst cliches of their genres and rock as a whole. The Eagles might be the worst band of all time, from any country.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YACKA YACKA OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...........BOZY BOZY BOP

Not only that but people get bluffed into believing in the 'greatness' of these bands. Like Aerosmith for example, who are a good band and i like a lot of their stuff but at the same time they were just kind of a Stones copy, they didn't really like...do anything as such to warrant their being considered the best American band ever. What, influenced GnR and hair metal a bit? But those genres were dead ends in that they didn't really lead to anything, they were just kinda big for a short while and sank.

The Stooges would be a very very very fucking good shout. Very good indeed.

[Sixes]

Bad Brains, Parliament/Funkadelic, Sly & The Family Stone to name a few more

[Len Cnut]

Jimi Hendrix Experience

If they are to be considered American then there's the answer, no question and no denying it. Absolutely undeniable. But are they American? Formed in England, started off in England, made their name in England, two English members? But like you say that one American in there is a big motherfuckin' American.

[Sixes]

Beach Boys, Ramones, Sonic Youth, REM to name a few

Definitely NOT Van Halen, Eagles or Aerosmith. Those bands represent the worst of the worst cliches of their genres and rock as a whole. The Eagles might be the worst band of all time, from any country.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YACKA YACKA OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...........BOZY BOZY BOP

Not only that but people get bluffed into believing in the 'greatness' of these bands. Like Aerosmith for example, who are a good band and i like a lot of their stuff but at the same time they were just kind of a Stones copy, they didn't really like...do anything as such to warrant their being considered the best American band ever. What, influenced GnR and hair metal a bit? But those genres were dead ends in that they didn't really lead to anything, they were just kinda big for a short while and sank.

The Stooges would be a very very very fucking good shout. Very good indeed.

Absolutely, spot on.

And The Stooges are an excellent pick.

[Len Cnut]

Bad Brains, Parliament/Funkadelic, Sly & The Family Stone to name a few more

If you were a bird I'd put a ring on your finger

[Rovim]

The Experience is 2/3 English. Nirvana is up there. The AFD era Guns is one of the better ones for traditional hard rock. Way better then Aerosmith ever was, even Rocks era was not as good.

Howlin' Wolf had Hubert Sumlin. Does that count as a band? the MG's are another ones.

[ZoSoRose]

Beach Boys, Ramones, Sonic Youth, REM to name a few

Definitely NOT Van Halen, Eagles or Aerosmith. Those bands represent the worst of the worst cliches of their genres and rock as a whole. The Eagles might be the worst band of all time, from any country.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW YACKA YACKA OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...........BOZY BOZY BOP

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/75/753eaac1b26a87f90a9f729d9fbb110337fbd8c8cd80de231bb8deb0ed44e025.jpg

Jimi Hendrix Experience

If they are to be considered American then there's the answer, no question and no denying it. Absolutely undeniable. But are they American? Formed in England, started off in England, made their name in England, two English members? But like you say that one American in there is a big motherfuckin' American.

Yeah, you know what. I would say they are British. Strike them from my initial post!

[Len Cnut]

It'd be interesting to trace the geaneology of the American band in a rock n roll context. Who was the first? Elvis and his boys Scotty Moore Dj Fontana and Bill Black...but they were a band so much as backing for Elvis, fantastic though they were.

Y'know who the best fuckin' American bands are? Those old rough and ready 60s ones like Count Five, The Standells, The Sonics, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Electric Prunes etc etc Time has been really unkind to these bands and it's a shame because it really shows the quality of the work coming out of that era.

[ZoSoRose]

It'd be interesting to trace the geaneology of the American band in a rock n roll context. Who was the first? Elvis and his boys Scotty Moore Dj Fontana and Bill Black...but they were a band so much as backing for Elvis, fantastic though they were.

Y'know who the best fuckin' American bands are? Those old rough and ready 60s ones like Count Five, The Standells, The Sonics, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Electric Prunes etc etc Time has been really unkind to these bands and it's a shame because it really shows the quality of the work coming out of that era.

Yeah, Len, there's some really cool stuff there. British music seemed to have survived a bit better from that era. At lease a few people out there know bands like The Shadows and stuff

[Len Cnut]

The Doors have got to be in there with a shout. In fact, fuck me, yes, The Doors. Without The Doors you wouldn't've had The Stooges like you did and we all know how much shit shot off of that, apart from just being one the biggest American bands of the era...as well as of all time. Y'know what, i can't think of anyone to trump The Doors here.

[Sixes]

The Velvet Underground to name another

Creedence Clearwater Revival to name yet another

Edited March 18, 2015 by Sixes

[Len Cnut]

The Stooges, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, yeah, those are 3 solid shouts for at least the most influential.

Edited March 18, 2015 by Len B'stard

[Sixes]

It'd be interesting to trace the geaneology of the American band in a rock n roll context. Who was the first? Elvis and his boys Scotty Moore Dj Fontana and Bill Black...but they were a band so much as backing for Elvis, fantastic though they were.

Y'know who the best fuckin' American bands are? Those old rough and ready 60s ones like Count Five, The Standells, The Sonics, Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Electric Prunes etc etc Time has been really unkind to these bands and it's a shame because it really shows the quality of the work coming out of that era.

The Sonics have a new album coming out in a few weeks!